The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) commiserates with the Guingona family as well with the family and friends of the armed escorts of the Guingonas who were killed and wounded when they engaged a local New People’s Army (NPA) unit in a firefight in the early morning hours of 20 April at the outskirts of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental. The NPA unit was then manning a checkpoint in the area.

The firefight broke out after the convoy carrying Gingoog Mayor Ruthie Guingona, wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, rammed through a checkpoint set up by the NPA and fired upon the Red fighters, prompting the latter to fire back in self-defense. Mayor Guingona was wounded in the incident.

The CPP acknowledges the report and public apology issued by the North Central Mindanao Regional Command of the New People’s Army through a statement issued by its spokesperson Comrade Alan Juanito. NDFP-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos similarly issued a statement in a radio interview yesterday.

It is indeed unfortunate that Mayor Guingona was hurt in the incident last Saturday. The Guingonas command deep respect among the revolutionary forces, especially the former Vice President who is known for his lifelong record of patriotism and defense of democracy and human rights.

The CPP and NPA hope that similar incidents do not break out in the future.

In line with this objective, the CPP and the NPA wish to reiterate the policies issued by the people’s democratic government that seek to ensure the peaceful conduct of the reactionary elections within the areas under its political authority. These policies were published at the Philippine Revolution Web Central last 17 February.

The prohibition against bearing firearms while campaigning in areas under the authority of the people’s democratic government should be strictly complied with. Such a policy is being implemented in order to prevent politicians from intimidating the people and prevent armed encounters between rival politicians. Campaign sorties of candidates should be coordinated with local revolutionary authorities in order to ensure that their scheduled political activities will not overlap with other activities in the area.

All units of the NPA are tasked to ensure the implementation of these policies. The setting up of checkpoints is among the measures being carried out by the NPA to ensure compliance.

Majority of the candidates participating in the reactionary elections within the areas under revolutionary authority have concurred with and followed these policies. The CPP urges all candidates to do the same in order to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections and the utmost respect of the people’s rights and welfare.

Malacañang and its cohorts can continue to publicly insist that there is only one political authority in the Philippines, in the desperate hope of discrediting the policies of the people’s democratic government regarding the conduct of the reactionary elections.

The ultimate aim of Malacañang and the reactionaries is to give full swing to the dirty and violent conduct of the elections where “guns, gold and goons” reign supreme. In contrast, the revolutionary forces seek to restrain the conduct of the reactionary elections and ensure that the reactionary politicians, warlords and criminal syndicates do not trample on the people’s rights and welfare with impunity.

The existence and exercise of political power of the people’s democratic government is incontrovertible. While reactionary political power remains dominant, revolutionary political power has emerged in many areas and continues to expand and gain strength.